


Soldiers of Vengeance

by sigmundite (solarismagnum)



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Magical Girls, M/M, Non-Graphic Violence, Tongue-in-cheek, with an unfortunate lack of girls
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-10-14
Updated: 2014-11-02
Packaged: 2018-02-21 03:03:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,034
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2452385
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/solarismagnum/pseuds/sigmundite
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Steve Rogers is just a kid trying to make it through private school despite a bad habit of getting really sick. Everything changes when he meets a talking cat named Sif who tells him that he is a Soldier of Vengeance who must help save the world.</p>
<p>Magical Girl anime-inspired.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Phase 1 - Awakening

**Author's Note:**

> Several months ago, in preparation for the new Sailor Moon anime, I binge-watched the entire original series. Usagi reminded me of Steve in a lot of ways, and I couldn't help but wonder how Steve would react within the constraints of a magical girl-universe. The idea stuck and now I'm sharing it with y'all. I won't deny there's a potential for silliness, but I'm playing it as serious as I can. I hope you enjoy.
> 
> Many thanks to everyone who put up with me as I was working on this - especially my betas! Tracy, Tsumego, and Fira - you're all wonderful and I'm incredibly grateful for your help!

 

Steve had been trying to get a line right for at least twenty minutes. His concentration had been off lately, mostly due to lightheadedness. Flu season had hit him pretty hard this year, but without parents to vouch for his medical history the school wouldn't allow him to miss any more classes. He was a little anxious for the day to be over even though art was one of his favorite classes.

 

Deep breath in - try to work past the congestion. Deep breath out - Do not cough. Make the cough count when it happens. Just another five minutes. Repeating it like a mantra kept him going for the rest of the day.

 

The bell rang, and as usual Steve was one of the last people out. His best friend Bucky was leaning against the wall outside the classroom, hands in his pockets with the effortless suave attitude that had other students flocking to try and score a date with him. But Bucky Barnes always made sure to have plenty of time for Steve.

 

"You been on a field trip, Steve? Because you look like hell," Bucky said.

 

Steve gave a careful chuckle, attempting to avoid another coughing fit. "Very funny, Buck."

 

Bucky peeled himself from the wall and leaned in. He was looking at Steve skeptically, doing his almost daily rundown of Steve’s ailments. When Steve was feeling bad, Bucky would check for any visible symptoms - discolored skin, irritated nose, red eyes - if he had a reason to be concerned, he’d check Steve first. It worried Steve every time he did it, because sooner or later Steve was going to catch something awfully contagious and get Bucky sick. "You sure you don't want to go back and see the school nurse? This doesn't look normal."

 

If Steve was honest, it didn't feel like a run-of-the-mill illness. He was used to those, as he was practically a magnet for them. But now he was too tired all the time and it didn't feel like any of the changes in his body were for the better. There was no fever and nothing obvious to break. This illness wasn't moving and that was a problem.

 

He looked up at Bucky to reply, but was caught off guard by a stern-faced cat sitting on top of one of the lockers. It had hazel eyes and silvery fur. Steve couldn't help but notice it was staring straight at him. He raised an eyebrow at it and it shook its head sternly at him. Was he really seeing this? Was delusion a new symptom for him to worry about?

 

"Steve?" He heard Bucky, who in that moment sounded so far away.

 

Steve swallowed. He wondered if he was going to throw up. "Buck, I think we need to go."

 

"Nurse's office?" Bucky asked, eyes full of concern.

 

"No, we need to-" Steve was interrupted by the cat launching itself onto him. The impact was enough to send him tumbling. Luckily, Bucky was quick to react and caught Steve before he could hit the ground. The cat sunk its claws into Steve's shoulder and held on tight. Steve cried out in pain while Bucky steadied him. Once Bucky was sure Steve had regained his balance, he attempted to wrestle the cat off of Steve's shoulders. It smacked him in the face with its tail.

Bucky reached for its neck scruff and it hissed. The cat had latched on firmly and refused to let go when Bucky tried to pull it away. Afraid of hurting Steve any further, Bucky released his grip. The cat loosened its grip on Steve’s shoulder and sat up as if it had done nothing wrong. Bucky reached for it again and it hissed at him. "Looks like you made a new friend," Bucky mused. 

 

Steve did his best to steady himself under the cat's weight. He was already feeling under the weather, but he didn't think his lack of strength was the problem. The cat was far too heavy for its size. "Cat, I don't know where you want to go, but if you don't move you're coming with us." He glanced at the cat from the corner of his eye. It seemed completely unfazed by his statement. Steve figured it understood him well enough to know what it was doing. "I guess it's coming with us."

 

Bucky shook his head. "You're something else, you know that? Both of you."

 

\-----

 

Bucky always stayed with Steve in his room for as long as he could keep coming up with excuses - by now Steve knew them all by heart, but he was grateful for the company. The cat stayed with them the entire trip back to Steve's dorm and at the moment it was currently curled up on the arm of the chair, right next to Steve. Bucky kept the chatter up for most of the evening and between him and the cat, Steve was able to stay awake.

 

But Bucky couldn't stay forever (neither could the cat, but it was a little easier to hide). The school had very strict rules about dormitories - one person per room, and no one was allowed to spend the night with someone else; it was a punishable offense. Bucky wasn’t one for abiding by the rules and neither was Steve for that matter. 

 

Right now, Bucky was comfortably sprawled on Steve's couch. "It's getting late, man," he said, adding a deliberate pause at the end to give Steve the opening to ask him to stay. He knew by now that if he suggested it, Steve would almost always say no.

 

"I'll be fine, Buck," Steve said with a half-hearted wave. "Get some rest, and I'll see you in the morning."

 

Bucky stood up and stretched. His eyelids were drooping, but Steve could see that Bucky was making an effort not to look as tired as he felt. "Take your own advice, man." He waved as he let himself out.

 

“You first.” Steve smiled and looked down at the cat, who did not seem particularly interested by the door opening. It was, however, wide awake and it stared at Bucky as he left, its tail slowly twitching.

 

Steve was exhausted. He ached everywhere.  He was sure it was one of those nights and he wouldn't make it out of the chair again tonight. His bones ached and his muscles were beyond sore. 

 

He sighed. "Cat, I think you missed your chance to head out for the night."

 

"You are in mortal peril, Steve Rogers," declared an unfamiliar female voice.

 

"Who said that?" Steve said. He was startled, but he couldn't find the energy to jump.

 

The cat stood up and looked at him with calm determination. It began to speak. "I am here to help you. You are trrrrr-" Her teeth clenched as she purred loudly, apparently to her own surprise. She opened her mouth again and shut it, purring unintelligibly . After a moment, she spoke again. "I apologize, Steve Rogers. The dark forces are strong here and I have only just been able to find you."

 

Steve blinked at the cat. "What do you mean?"

 

The cat let out a wail of a meow, then shook her head.

 

"Are there only certain things you can say?" Steve couldn't figure out which part was weirdest. He wasn't sure he should even ask. 

 

She nodded. "I wish I could explain." The cat hopped from the chair to Steve's lap, drawing out an "Oof!" Rather than climb up him, she pressed her front paws on his chest. "For now, I need you to concentrate on what matters most to you - as hard as you possibly can."

 

Steve thought about Bucky. One memory in particular came to mind, although the details were kind of foggy. They were watching the wildlife outside near the school's garden. There were two birds, one of which was brave enough to land on his shoulder. It had stuck around for a while, and Steve remembered being so thrilled that it had. 

 

Other details were fuzzier - at one point Bucky had a spider crawling on his shoulder, and at another his cell phone had flickered blue with a warning for bad weather. It was important, somehow, but Steve could not figure out why. Though this was an important memory, Steve couldn't make sense of it or even when it happened. 

 

At the same time energy seemed to be surging through him, pooling where the cat had pressed her paws. It pulsed out of him in a burst with a light so bright it blurred the dream even further. The dream faded with the light and Steve felt weaker than ever before. But he felt something pressed against his chest - a medallion had formed under the cat's paws. She nudged it upwards.

 

"I know you are tired, but you must take this. You are a Soldier of Vengeance, Steve Rogers. Great magic has cursed this land and only the Soldiers of Vengeance can stop it.

 

Steve found himself struggling to stay conscious, but he nodded anyway. If there was something he could do to help, he needed to do it. Circumstances be damned. He took the medallion. "So now what?"

 

The cat thought for a moment. "Hold the medallion in the air and say, 'Soldier of Freedom, Assemble!' This should allow its power to activate."

 

Without hesitation, Steve held up the medallion with his right hand. "Soldier of Freedom, Assemble!"

 

The effect was instantaneous. Light erupted from the medallion in curling rays. Steve felt himself lifted up by the sheer power of it. As the light spun around him he felt stronger. The tightness in his lungs relaxed and he felt himself breathing with ease. Various aches, pains, and ailments left him as if they had never been there in the first place. He felt taller and wider. The sensation of his body changing was so overwhelming that Steve hardly noticed the light changing his clothes.

 

Armor formed around him - plated boots and gloves that were almost weightless. As the light finished its orbit, it returned to the medallion. In his hand Steve could feel a leather band replacing the medallion, which had expanded into a featherlight shield that rested comfortably on his arm. As it solidified, he felt himself lowered onto the ground in a standing position. 

 

The light faded and the only thing bothering Steve was a head rush. He couldn't remember the last time he felt so healthy. Finally able to see, he looked at the armor he was wearing. The main plates were a vibrant blue and there was a brilliant star in the center of his chest. His torso was covered in plates in alternating red and white to look like stripes. He had a silver belt with compartments for small items and a buckle in the shape of an 'A'. His boots matched the blue of his armor and were accented by silver symbols that he couldn't recognize. He was wearing some kind of helmet now, but he couldn't bring himself to take it off and inspect it. Instead he turned toward his dorm's bathroom and the mirror inside, only to find a very different face looking back at him. He pressed his hand to his chest and saw his reflection do the same in the mirror. 

 

Was this really him?

 

Steve turned to find the cat, who was sitting on the arm of the sofa looking greatly relieved. 

 

"This is your real body. Before this, you were missing a part of yourself, Captain Rogers. As are we all." She purred, but stopped herself when she realized what she was doing. She straightened herself and looked away, as if trying to pretend she wasn’t embarrassed by it. 

 

Steve found one part stranger than the rest. "Captain Rogers?"

 

The cat nodded. "You are the leader of the Soldiers of Vengeance."

 

Given everything that had just happened, being a captain of magical warriors didn't seem  quite that weird. Steve ran his finds along his belt buckle. "If that's the case, what does the 'A' stand for?"

 

The cat chirped. "I'm afraid I cannot tell you at present. Your transformation has broadened my ability to speak, but only a little. Perhaps if we could find your teammates, their awakenings will have a similar effect."

 

Steve smiled gently. "Then it looks like I have a new house cat." She looked unimpressed, which he remedied with a scratch under the ear. "So what do I call you?"

 

She leaned into his hand and began to purr. "This is so primitive," she grumbled. "You may call me Sif."

 

"You got it, Sif. Now-"

 

Before Steve could finish there was a loud, sharp whine followed by an explosion that colored the window blinds in flickering blue light. Steve leaned over and peeked through his blinds. Steve could make out the silhouette of a man carrying some kind of weapon, outlined by the strange light in the otherwise dark night. He was yelling in a language Steve couldn't understand.

 

"Who is that?" Steve whispered.

 

Sif hopped up to the windowsill and pressed her face through the blinds. "That is an agent of The Hydra who is responsible for the curse placed upon this world."

 

"So what do I do with him?" Steve asked, fiddling with the shield he was holding. It wasn't exactly an offensive weapon, but he liked it. Some kind of laser gun wouldn't have suited him.

 

"Defeat him," Sif said coldly, her back arching. "Your shield will help you."

 

"You're damn right it will." Steve nodded with determination and started to head out the door. Sif scampered out behind him. 

 

The Hydra agent was easy to follow as he fired blue light at random intervals, occasionally muttering as he did so. Steve trailed him quietly for a few minutes, and as soon as they were out of the range of the dorms he finally spoke up.

 

"Hey! You mind putting that thing away? Someone could get hurt."

 

The Hydra agent turned towards him and shouted, "The only one that shall be hurt tonight is you, Captain!" He fired his gun. Without hesitation Steve held up his shield, deflecting the light with a satisfying resonance. The Hydra agent cursed in response and fired again.

 

Steve leapt out of the way, higher and with much more ease than he had expected. Unfortunately, that didn't bode well for his landing and he stumbled under the weight of unfamiliar muscles. He tried to use the shield to balance himself, but its light weight only added to his stumbling. He quickly tried to get back on his feet, only to find the laser gun pointed at his face.

 

"I shall have the honor of destroying you once an- AHHHHHH!" Sif had launched herself at the agent with claws and fangs bared. She howled with fury and clawed him with a vengeance. The agent screamed in pain. With some struggle he was able to throw her aside, but he was badly scratched in the process. Sif landed gracefully on her feet anyway. The Hydra agent quickly reached for his gun and turned back to Steve.

 

"Captain Rogers, look out!"

 

Fortunately, Steve was ready to hold his shield up. The beam reflected off of the shield and with a little movement, Steve was able to point it right back at the agent. The agent vanished almost instantaneously. The gun dropped to the ground, useless.

 

Steve was surprised by the sudden end to the battle. He peeked over the edge of the shield, looking for any other potential threats.

 

Sif walked over to him. "You have done well, Captain."

 

"Likewise." Steve nodded. "But this is just the beginning."

 

Sif brushed against Steve's leg as she wandered over to examine the gun. "We cannot leave this here. Hide it carefully, Captain."

 

He picked up the gun - some kind of strange rifle - and carried it back to his dorm room underneath the shield. Thanks to the curfew, no one seemed to be outside despite the ruckus. He hid the rifle in his back of his closet, underneath a small pile of shirts he couldn't wear anymore. They were too old or too big for him to wear, but he didn't have much in the way of clothing to begin with. He didn't have an abundance of hiding places or possessions to hide it under. That spot would work for now, but he was going to have to think a little harder about where to hide it permanently.

 

Once he was finished, Steve searched his armor for zippers or some other kind of fastenings to remove his armor.

 

"So uh, how do I take this off? I can't exactly shower in my armor." Among other things.

 

Sif was perched on the back of the couch. "I believe you will have to undo the transformation. With that medallion you will be able to transform again at any time. You should no longer be in danger of dying due to the curse itself, but if you stay in that form, The Hydra will know we are aware of it. I have seen a great determination in you, Steve, but for now we need to find your allies."

 

"How will I know who they are?" Steve asked.

 

Sif flicked her tail. "They will make themselves known in time." She jumped down to the cushion. "Rest now, and continue your regular life in the morning."

 

"You make it sound so easy." Steve yawned and gave a great stretch. He'd been hoping to spend more time in this form, but Sif was right. A couple inches of height and healthy muscles wasn't exactly inconspicuous. He'd have to wait. Steve concentrated on the shield, and as he thought of undoing the transformation, his armor disintegrated into ribbons of light. The ribbons funneled back into the shield, which eventually reverted into the original medallion. Steve was left with an almost unobtrusive trinket that could fit in his pocket easily. The ache in his bones and the heaviness of his chest returned, but only just. Having been reunited with his other body, his current form had much more fight to it.

 

All the excitement of the day led to an easy sleep. No fits of pain or breathlessness woke him. His sleep was full of pleasant dreams he wouldn't remember in the morning.

 

 


	2. Phase 2: Spectrum

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Being a Soldier of Vengeance is becoming routine for Steve, but things change as he meets another student who might be one of his allies.

Steve slept better than he had in a long time. Despite having fought an agent of evil the night before, he wasn't woken up by any aches or pains, nor did he wake up due to his own snoring or lack of breath. He’d had no nightmares either - though his dreams were pleasant, he couldn't remember them at all.   
  
His alarm clock went off and for the first time that he could remember, Steve got up immediately. It wasn't that he hated mornings - on the contrary, there was so much for him to see and enjoy during the day - but getting out of bed while his body was under such duress was a struggle in itself. Today, that feeling seemed almost alien. He sat up and looked around his room, wondering if anything else had changed.   
  
Sif was curled up on top of his dresser. She could've easily passed for a normal cat now, without her stiff posture and determined gaze. Steve got up and petted her gently on top of the head. She stretched out underneath him undeterred, and that was as good a sign as any for Steve to start getting ready for the first day of the rest of his life.   
  
\----------------   
  
The following days passed by easily. Bucky was suspicious of Steve's recovery time, especially given how awful Steve had felt on that fateful day, but Bucky wasn't going to look a gift horse in the mouth. At school things continued mostly as usual.   
  
One of the strangest discoveries Steve made after becoming the Soldier of Freedom was that he was a morning person. Getting out of bed wasn't an exercise in minimizing pain - his real body was doing most of that for him. Breathing was so much easier, and as a result he was sleeping better too - though that said little about his dreams.   
  
They weren't exactly nightmares, but his dreams didn't make much sense. Steve would often find himself dangling in midair, shield in tow. An angel had a tight hold on his arm and was doing its best to keep him from falling. Sometimes the angel's grip would falter and other times, they'd both be consumed by darkness.   
  
Sif thought it was worth remembering, though she couldn't explain why. Instead she focused on training. Agents of the Hydra were still few and far between, but there was no telling where they were. When Steve was in class, Sif plotted out a training regimen for him so that he could get used to that body and strength. After curfew, Steve would run and work out in the woods until an agent showed up or midnight passed. He wished he could tell Bucky.

Bucky had always been the more sporty of the two, and Steve was pretty sure the only reason Bucky wasn't on the football team was because Bucky was too busy looking after him.   
  
"They're still holding open tryouts, you know," Steve said while they were sitting in his dorm, working on math homework.   
  
Bucky shrugged. "I already told you, I don't have enough time for the team."   
  
"You've got plenty of time!" Steve replied. "I would know. I'm usually there."   
  
"You can't get rid of me that easily."   
  
"I'm not trying to. I know how much you enjoyed the game when we were kids. You'd do a hell of a job out on the field."   
  
Bucky looked out the window. "It's no big deal."   
  
Steve smiled. Bucky was running out of excuses. "Besides, you might not even need to be a popular player to pass your classes."   
  
Bucky rolled his eyes. "Someone's got to look after you and that mouth of yours."   
  
"Why Bucky, I didn't know you cared."   
  
Bucky scoffed. "There are infectious disease wards that catch less bugs than you do."   
  
Steve raised his eyebrows. "Thanks, but I'm feeling a lot better."   
  
Bucky shrugged. "That's what you say now."   
  
\----------------   
  
Steve bid Bucky goodbye at the gate to the field. He made his way a comfortable distance from the football field with his sketchbook. He stayed close enough to be able to watch tryouts, but far enough that he'd be out of the way. There was a cat-shaped outline at the top rail of the bleachers. Steve figured Sif would come down when she felt like it. Though the Soldier of Freedom had soothed so many of his ills, he didn't feel up to climbing all the way up to see her.   
  
Since Bucky was busy, Steve wanted to use his free time to try and draw something from his dreams. Maybe if he focused on it hard enough, he could remember a face or other details about the world before the curse. The other Soldiers of Vengeance were out there but with Sif forced to dance around her words, Steve had no idea where to start looking for them. He hoped Bucky was one of them, but in all of the days since his first transformation, Sif had said nothing to Bucky.   
  
He drew out lines and curves in his sketchbook, but nothing came to him. He drew eyes that he couldn't match to anyone and doodled football players in the edges of the paper. It was going dreadfully until a wayward football came hurtling towards him. It hit his bookbag and sent various items everywhere. Steve looked at the field and saw Bucky shouting at an upperclassman. The coach was already trying to break them up, and nothing Steve could do would help.   
  
He turned to his scattered stuff, hoping to avoid spurning Bucky on any further by accident. He didn't mind Bucky standing up for him - if Steve had been in his real body, he wouldn't have let that stand either - but he didn't want to ruin Bucky's chances at getting on the team. He started gathering up his possessions, only to be interrupted by a total stranger.   
  
It was another student, maybe a little older than him, wearing a football jersey and jeans but no gear. His skin was dark and he had the demeanor of someone who didn't take much crap from anyone, but his expression was gentle.   
  
"Hey." He crouched down in between Steve and his stuff. "You okay? Rumlow's a dick."   
  
"I'm fine," Steve replied. "It just hit my stuff."   
  
The other student smiled. "I can see that. Sorry. You need some help?"   
  
Steve shook his head. "Nah, I think I've got most of it."   
  
"You missed--" The new guy froze, and when Steve looked he saw that his face had gone slack and his fingers were on the medallion. After a very long minute, he shook it off.   
  
"You dropped this," he said, handing the medallion to Steve a little too quickly.   
  
Bucky hadn't touched the medallion. He'd gone through Steve's bag to get something a couple of times since Steve became the Soldier of Freedom, but he'd never brought it up. Steve had never seen this happen before.   
  
"Are you okay?" Steve asked.   
  
"I'm fine." The other student rubbed his forehead. "I think those colors are a little too tacky for me. Tripped me out."   
  
Steve chuckled. Red, white, and blue wasn't his ideal color combination, but the medallion had always felt right to him. "Yeah, I guess they're a little much."   
  
"Striking though." Steve's companion looked contemplative for a moment, then pushed it out of his mind. "Name's James, by the way. James Rhodes." James extended his hand.   
  
Steve smiled and shook it. "It's funny you say that - my best friend's name is James Barnes. I'm Steve Rogers."   
  
Rhodes chuckled and glanced back at the field. "That punk out there is your best friend? Nice of you to come cheer him on."   
  
"He'd do the same for me," Steve said fondly.   
  
"Must be nice, having a friend like that," Rhodes said wistfully.   
  
Steve closed his sketchbook and set it back in his bag. "You seem like a nice enough guy. Wouldn't have expected you to have issues with that."   
  
Rhodes shrugged. "Not enough time. I get along with the team well enough, but this year I'm in an after-school science program. Some of the guys are still cool, but most of them don't have the time for me now that I've got other obligations. I'm not all that close with anyone else."   
  
"That's rough." Steve bit his lip thoughtfully, then added, "When you do have free time, you can hang out with me." He liked Rhodes well enough, and maybe more time together would allow him to figure out if Rhodes was a Soldier of Vengeance.   
  
"Sounds cool." Rhodes smiled. A few yells came from the distance, and he picked up the football. "I bet they want this back. Nice talking to you, Rogers."   
  
"Call me Steve."   
  
"Call me Rhodey." Rhodey stood up and gave a friendly salute.   
  
Steve couldn't describe how he felt. All of his possessions were accounted for and everything was fine, but there had been a connection with Rhodey unlike anything he had felt for anyone he'd met who wasn't Bucky. The loss bothered him.   
  
Sif came ambling over to him and climbed into his lap, facing away from the team. He gave her a friendly scratch behind the ears, but she stood still as if to endure it.   
  
"Who was that, Captain? You seem startled."   
  
"He said his name was James Rhodes. I think he's a Soldier of Vengeance," Steve replied. He looked up towards the field, where Rhodey was now tossing a football to another student Steve couldn't see through the bleachers. At least someone was hanging out with him. "He touched my medallion and something clicked. I know it did."   
  
Sif narrowed her eyes thoughtfully. "It is likely that your medallion resonated with him, as it should with the other Soldiers. What I do not understand is how he was the first to find you."   
  
"What do you mean? Don't all the Soldiers of Vengeance know each other?"   
  
"I'm afraid I cannot answer that in detail, even if I could speak. My connection is weak at best, but I know that James Rhodes was more closely affiliated with... mrr... _another_."   
  
"A friend?"   
  
"A very close one, who was also a Soldier of Vengeance."   
  
Steve turned towards his bag to put the rest of his things away. He was no longer interested in drawing. "If he finds out, we can be a step closer to breaking the curse and finding the others."   
  
Sif nodded. "I will go and investigate." She hopped gracefully onto the ground. "Do you have any suggestions?"   
  
"Look into a new science program. He says it's supposed to be taking up most of his time this semester." Steve said. "Bucky's making his way back, so meet me back at my dorm when you're done."   
  
"Certainly, Captain." With that, Sif snuck away towards the school.   
  
Steve looked up to see how practice was going. Hopefully nobody noticed that he'd been having a conversation with a cat. Bucky was stretching his arms with an unreadable look on his face. Not too far off, Rumlow was standing near the coach glowering at Bucky. Rhodey was twirling a football in his hands, but now Steve could see who he'd been throwing it to.   
  
The other student was startlingly gorgeous. Steve found himself out of breath for reasons that had nothing to do with asthma. The other student had a smile on his face brighter than the sun, and he looked completely comfortable bantering with the other players. He had a slender but athletic build, and if Steve had to guess he was probably a little bit taller than Steve's current body (which wasn't exactly difficult). He'd worked out enough to be sweating by now, and the sunlight hit his skin in such a way that the air sparkled around him.  Time slowed to a halt for Steve, and despite sitting he felt like he was falling. Falling, falling...   
  
"Keeping an eye on the football?" Bucky said, breaking through Steve's reverie. He was walking over to Steve now, in a slightly better mood than before.   
  
Steve glanced behind him - Rumlow wasn't anywhere to be seen, but now Rhodey's companion was gone too. Steve couldn't help but feel a little disappointed at that. It took him a moment to give a reply. "Never know what could be coming this way."   
  
Bucky frowned. "Rhodes said he got to you before I had the chance to. That Rumlow guy is a dick."   
  
Steve laughed. "Rhodey said the same thing."   
  
"Rhodey, huh?" Bucky looked amused. "Are you finally starting to make more friends around here?"   
  
"Hey, I can be an interesting person," Steve replied.   
  
"You can be a punk," Bucky said in mock seriousness.   
  
"Jerk. How's practice going?"   
  
Bucky grinned and stretched his arms out. "You might be looking at the starting quarterback."   
  
"That bad, huh?"   
  
\----------------   
  
There was a meow at the door, so Steve got up to answer it. He still couldn't get over how much easier it was to move around in his dorm now that he had the energy to do so. Sif was waiting outside, but when Steve opened the door she made no move to come in.   
  
"It's a trap, Captain! His professor and the other students in his program are agents of the Hydra! It's an indoctrination process further powered by the curse. If we don't hurry and rescue him, we will lose one of the Soldiers of Vengeance!"   
  
It was still early in the evening. Bucky hadn't come back from the tryouts, and curfew wasn't yet in effect. There was a chance someone could see Steve transform, and with another Soldier of Vengeance in danger that was a risk he wasn't willing to take. He grabbed his medallion and transformed inside of his room. "Soldier of Freedom, Assemble!"   
  
He hoped his armor wasn't too conspicuous as he followed Sif back to the main campus. She was running quite quickly for a cat, covering as much space as she could with every stride. Still, Steve found himself fighting not to run past her. After a few run-ins with the Hydra, he'd gotten better control of his body.  He wanted to go faster, but with so many classrooms, there was no telling which one Rhodey would be in.   
  
More disturbing was the unnatural darkness growing over the campus. Steve turned around to look back at the dorms and found that they had a normal sky for a late afternoon. He glanced towards where the football field would be, worried for Bucky and the others with their late tryouts, but the sky was normal above it too. Whatever evil aspect of the Hydra was waiting out there, it was focused on the school. He turned back around and continued following Sif.   
  
By the time they had reached the main building, the darkness has grown as a malicious shadow. Sif had a harder time navigating through it, as she had to jump from object to object in order to avoid it. Steve could feel it slithering like a mist around his heels, but he chose to ignore it. The darkness called to him from below, bringing ghosts of the aches and ills that had bothered him so much before his first transformation. But ghosts were merely ghosts--Steve refused to be cowed by them, not when someone else was in danger.   
  
Every classroom had its door opened, though every room Steve passed was too dark to see into. The shadow was thickening in the air, seeping into the walls and every object it came across.   
  
"Sif, we need to-" Steve was interrupted by a feral howl, and as it faded into the distance he realized he could no longer see Sif anywhere. "Sif? Sif! I'll find you!"   
  
It seemed like an impossible task in the growing dark, but Steve pushed that thought away as he had with the rest of his doubts. There were two people that needed saving now. This darkness was some kind of magic, just like his transformation, and in that it was familiar. He was just like it, so he could understand it.   
  
Steve held his shield in front of him, pushing back against the weight of it. His resolve to fight back grew, and as he focused he could see lines in the darkness. He could just barely make out the direction they were coming from, and he made his way towards one particular classroom. Was Rhodey within?   
  
Inside the room, a figure was standing at the window. It turned around to look at Steve, a long braid whipping around behind it. Steve charged towards it with his shield as it yelled, but he'd underestimated the being. It gathered the darkness it had amassed and attacked Steve from every direction. The shield could only protect him so much, and Steve crumbled under the magic. His body ached and cramped all over as if the being were trying to undo his transformation by force. Steve fell to his knees and the grip on his shield faltered. He groaned and gritted his teeth.   
  
"Enduring Conviction!" came an unfamiliar yell. A beam of light pierced through the darkness, hitting the being in the shoulder and knocking it back into the wall. Steve could see it now--a creature adorned in black clothing and a pale mask. Definitely not Rhodey.   
  
He looked to the source of the voice and saw a woman standing proudly with some sort of gun raised. Her torso and arms were protected by golden armor, with a long blue robe flowing out from underneath it. Her hair was curled perfectly and her lips were red as blood. She was the most beautiful woman Steve had ever seen. He felt warmed by her presence.   
  
"You're a Soldier of Vengeance," Steve said. He was at a loss for words.   
  
"Not as you know, Steve Rogers," she replied with a hint of sadness.   
  
Steve wasn't sure what to make of that. "But you're one of us! Are you another student?"   
  
The Soldier shook her head. "Memory is fickle in this world, Captain. By the time you remember who I am, I will not remember you. I do not wish you to endure that pain again."   
  
"Does that mean you won't join us?"   
  
She shook her head no. "I'm afraid not, Steve. I am only here because you needed me to be here. It is unlikely I will be able to join you again."   
  
With a closer look, Steve could see that her skin glowed. It radiated light of a magical sort, and he realized that she wasn't really there. Not as he saw her. "Who are you?"   
  
"I am the Soldier of Perseverance. That is all I can tell you."   
  
The being behind them stirred, groaning as it prepared itself to fight again. Steve looked towards it and forced himself up. The light surrounding the Soldier of Perseverance melted away his pain as he stood, and he felt more like the Soldier of Freedom he was meant to be.   
  
"I'll take care of the elf. You need to go find your friend." She lowered her gun and reached into her pocket. "Catch."   
  
She tossed something to him. Steve caught it with ease. It was a compass, and it glowed with the same light as she did.   
  
"This will help you find your way."   
  
Steve hesitated. "Will you be all right?"   
  
"Don't worry about me, Steve." She smiled at him fondly before raising her gun again. "And remember - you won't be alone."   
  
He wasn't sure what she meant by that. "... Got it." Steve backed out of the room, keeping an eye on her as he made his exit. The elf began to summon its darkness again, and light began to swirl around the Soldier of Perseverance's gun in kind. Thinking of Rhodey, Steve forced himself to leave the room and that battle behind.   
  
Darkness still infested the hallway, but not in such great amounts as it had before. The compass lit the air around him, growing brighter as he moved in the right direction. It paved the way to the correct classroom. The door was closed, and Steve had an opportunity to prepare himself. He closed the compass and readied his shield, then barged into the classroom like a tank.   
  
Rhodey lay crumpled on the floor beside one of the desks. Sif was standing in front of him, back arched and hissing. Her fur was singed and she was favoring one leg, but she refused to back down. Above them was a man holding a stone that emitted darkness like the elf had, but not as strongly.   
  
The man had an eerie glow about him, shining from beneath his skin and his teacher's disguise. Steve could almost make out his bones, despite the fact that the man was quite muscular.   
  
"You're too late, Captain. Soon he will succumb to the darkness, and when he wakes he will comply with our every command!" The man cackled, but while he was busy reveling in his success Steve was measuring his target. Steve threw the shield at a diagonal, whirring it past the man's arm before he could react. The man started to laugh harder just in time for the shield to bounce off the concrete wall and knock the stone out of his hand. Steve caught his shield and charged towards his enemy.   
  
"Be careful, Steve! This man has a power called Extremis. He is no mere human!" Sif yelled. Steve could only spare her a glance as the man charged to meet him, but she was climbing onto Rhodey in hopes of extracting his medallion.   
  
Unfortunately, the Extremis-fueled man was a tougher opponent than the agents of the Hydra Steve had faced before. What the man lacked in fighting ability, he made up for in strength and speed. Steve could hold his own against the attack, but he could only slow his opponent down.   
  
Meanwhile, Sif couldn't get Rhodey to wake. She swatted at him with her paw and head-butted him but to no avail. She looked back up to where Steve was fighting and couldn't see an end in sight. There was nothing he could do to help her until their opponent was defeated, and Sif knew there was nothing she could do to help.   
  
But as she began to despair, a thread of light burst out of the side of Steve's belt where he had put the compass. It led to the dark rock that now lay forgotten on the floor. Sif scampered over to it as quickly as she could with her leg injured and smacked it towards Rhodey. She could hardly watch it skitter before she took off after it.   
  
"What is that?" The man with Extremis had finally noticed the light, and Steve had only a moment to notice it too before it disappeared. He didn't question it, instead slamming the shield into his opponent's chest to distract him.   
  
It gave Sif time to maneuver the rock towards Rhodey's hand. Darkness nipped at her as she worked, but she refused to be distracted. Rhodey needed to be awake in order for her to extract his medallion, but if he couldn't wake up, there was no way for her to draw the energy from him to do so. But the energy had already been drawn, and perhaps if she focused on the rock instead his energy would respond.   
  
Finally she pressed it against the palm of his hand. She couldn't get Rhodey's fingers around it and she decided not to bother. Sif pressed her paws against it at the protest of the darkness and did her best to concentrate.   
  
"James Rhodes, you must wake up! Take back your energy and who you truly are! Come on, energy, return to him." She smacked the stone with her paw. Rhodey didn't budge, but when Sif looked up she saw more people with Extremis approaching the window, preparing to attack. "Come _on_!" The fear that it might be beyond her magical abilities crept up on her.   
  
Sif fought back by hopping over Rhodey's arm and pressing his hand down on the stone. "Soldier of War, Assemble! James Rhodes, Assemble!" Nothing happened, but the other Extremis warriors were now melting the metal around the window as they prepared to knock it down. They had so little time. "Steve, I need your help!" she howled.   
  
Luckily, one of the advantages of being the Soldier of Freedom was that his mind had been enhanced with the rest of his body. Despite being engaged in a tough fight, he'd been able to pay just enough attention to what Sif was trying to do. Steve gave his opponent a hard shove, giving himself enough time to yell uninterrupted. "Soldier of War, Assemble!"   
  
Rhodey's eyes flew open and his hand wrapped tightly around the stone. Light erupted from it, cracking the dark shell and scattering pieces to the floor. A new shape was forming underneath it, but so much magic was rising up around Rhodey that it was all Sif could do to get out of his way.   
  
A brand new medallion flew out of his hand and landed gracefully on his chest as he lifted upright into the air. Ribbons of silver and bright blue light wrapped around his body, making it impossible to see what was happening. Everyone shielded their eyes from the light, including the various Extremis-wielding foes outside the window.   
  
Armor formed around Rhodey, thicker and less colorful than Steve's. All of it was silver metal, refracting the light even more. Though fewer ribbons of light surrounded him as the armor itself finished, most of them focused around his hands and shoulders as well as a large long object that hovered over his shoulder. His mask covered more of his face than Steve's, as a see-through crystal visor covered most of the top of his face. As the light faded, the Soldier of War landed gracefully on his feet. An 'A' was painted on each of his shoulders.   
  
Rhodey pointed at the would-be teacher who had nearly killed him with utmost distaste. "This guy giving you trouble, Soldier?"   
  
Steve was still in a defensive stance but he felt a great deal of relief now that - as the Soldier of Perseverance had said - he wasn't alone. "Yeah, but it looks like he could do a lot worse."   
  
"I'll bet." The Soldier of War came a few steps closer, his boots heavy against the ground. The noise barely masked the crash of the window to the floor as enemy reinforcements came into the room. The teacher darted between Rhodey and Steve, catching up with his group.   
  
"Rho- uh, War, these guys are pretty tough to take down," Steve said, readying his shield.   
  
"Let me try something." The gun over his shoulder raised and lit up. "Brave Fusillade!" Pulses of light bombarded the enemies in a relentless barrage, knocking them backward. Many of them screamed and some tried to dodge out of the way, leaving them wide open to be knocked back by Steve's shield. They seemed to absorb the light and were beaten back--but something was wrong.   
  
Suddenly, Sif yelled, "They're going to explode! We have to get out of here." She darted towards Steve and leapt onto his shoulder. He kept going, unbothered by the weight on his shoulder.   
  
Rhodey backed up, firing a few more shots before turning away. He had a harder time of running with his armor despite how light it was. "Man, I do not want to find out if this is explosion proof!" Crystal accents on the back of his boots lit up, lifting him up into the air to hover. He leaned forward to push himself away, moving at a rate faster than he could run.   
  
He was quickly catching up to Steve and Sif. "Hold on to me!" he yelled, grabbing Steve around the waist. Sif hopped onto his back and curled up against his neck for dear life. They made it out the door and the classroom exploded.   
  
Rhodey let Steve catch his footing before letting go of him and landing. Sif shifted her weight and waited for him to land before jumping off.   
  
Steve was the first to say something. "Hey Rhodey, are you okay?"   
  
Rhodey lifted up his visor and gave him a suspicious look. "How did you know my name was - wait, Steve Rogers? Is that you?"   
  
Steve couldn't help but chuckle. "Yeah, it's me. This is my real body."   
  
"Damn. Did that happen to _me_?" Rhodey lifted his arms and tried to get a better look at his body, but his armor was too bulky. "You are not that tall."   
  
"I don't know." Steve couldn't help but smile. "You're the only other Soldier of Vengeance I've seen transform. Welcome to the team."   
  
Rhodey glanced at Sif. "Not my usual kind of team. But hey, we should probably get out of here." Rhodey gestured to the wrecked building behind them.   
  
Alarms were going off in the background. Night had fallen during their adventure, and standing next to a burning building was more than conspicuous. There was so much Steve wanted to talk about, but someone would be coming soon. "We should meet up again tomorrow."   
  
"Well wouldn't you know, I just got a free slot in my schedule," Rhodey replied with a grin. "How do you get out of this thing?"   
  
"Just concentrate on removing it. It'll go away." Steve said.   
  
"That sounds deceptively simple."   
  
Steve shrugged. "Probably is, but I don't make the rules. But hey, catch you by the football field sometime?"   
  
"Count on it."   
  
The two of them parted ways, heading towards their dorms as quickly as they could manage. Sif looked back from her perch on Steve's shoulder. She felt like they were being watched.   
  
In the smoke, not even she could see two shadows standing on the roof of a nearby wing.


End file.
